


To Magic Perpendiculars

by pyrrhadise



Series: RWBY Miraculous AU [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-08 20:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6872740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyrrhadise/pseuds/pyrrhadise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the sudden breakup of Vale's Miraculous team, small speedster Ruby Rose is chosen to become Ladybug and fight alongside Jaune Arc, ex-leader of the last group. Now, Ruby must gather a new team and defeat the evil Papillon before it's too late.<br/>(RWBY Miraculous Ladybug AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Beginning

An empty dorm room, devoid of most decoration and any company, was what greeted Jaune when he awoke, the same as always. The scraggly blonde curled his knees up toward his chest and ran a hand through his hair, a muffled sigh escaping his mouth as he tried to let go of the happiness of his dreams and face reality. He sat on his bed like that for a few minutes before getting up and beginning his daily routine.

Get up. Wake up. Train. Try not to remember. Eat. Don’t think about how empty the dorm is, now that it’s just you, alone, without your teammates and friends. Pack up your bag. Go to school. Don’t recall how the four of you used to walk together, smiling and telling jokes. Nora would run ahead a little bit, a massive grin on her face as she challenged you to a ra-  
_Don’t go there, Arc. Today is special, so you can’t break down._  
_Doesn’t make it any easier to forget._

His only greeting as he came back in from his training was Gennai, his Kwami, zooming around him and landing on his shoulder. Jaune gave the small lion a weak smile and a few gentle rubs, then set down his fencing gear and walked into the kitchen to put together his breakfast. “I was wondering if you’d disappeared, Gennai. Couldn’t find you this morning before I left.”

“No, sorry! I overslept a little.” Gennai yawned, his tiny mouth stretching widely, and made his way over to the counter beside where Jaune was cooking. “How did your training go this morning, Jaune?”

“Well, you know, the same as usual. I did it the way Py- The way I was taught.” At his slipup, Jaune’s grip on the cereal box tightened and his eyes dulled. Gennai sighed and floated up next to him.

“Hey, cheer up, Jaune. I’m sure you’re doing great!” Jaune’s eyes softened at his Kwami’s voice, and he took a deep breath to let the tension out of his shoulders. He continued about his routine, Gennai resting on his shoulder, and found that he had fifteen minutes of extra time to relax before he left for Beacon. With a sigh and a glance at his phone, Jaune sat down in his armchair in the living room. Gennai left his shoulder to go eat the treat Jaune had left for him, and Jaune’s eyes roamed the room. Eventually, they landed on a portrait on the side table by his chair, which Jaune picked up.

In the picture, there was a tall girl with vibrant green eyes and long red hair tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed in the Beacon Academy uniform, and she donned an excited grin. In her hand, she held a necklace with a small charm shaped like a fox’s tail – _the Fox Miraculous_.

Jaune stared at the picture as his mind drifted back to that day.

 _“Jaune, Jaune!” He turned around at the sound of his friend’s voice to see her running up to him, a smile on her face. He returned her smile, one hand on his hip as he turned to respond._  
_“Hey there. What’s got you all excited?” She stopped right in front of him, folding one arm behind her back as she held up a necklace with a fox-tail stone, and Jaune immediately recognized it. He gasped and shifted his eyes back and forth between the stone and her. “No way…!” She giggled at his happy tone before grinning even more broadly._  
 _“Looks like we’re partners now, Jaune!”_

“Jaune? Jaune!” Gennai’s voice snapped Jaune out of his reverie, and he blinked several times to clear his head before he felt water on his cheeks. He reached his hand to his face and wiped off his tears before gently setting the photo back on the side table. Jaune took another moment to compose himself before he rose up, gathered his things, and walked out of the dorm without glancing back.

_Today is a new beginning._

* * *

 

“Okay, Ruby, stay calm. It’s just a meeting,” fifteen-year-old Ruby Rose attempted to convince herself to relax as she walked into Beacon Tower. “It’s just a meeting… With Professor Ozpin, Beacon’s headmaster! Oh man, what am I gonna do?!”

The girl was more nervous than she’d ever been. Beacon had been her dream school ever since she was a child; an academy where skilled students from around the Kingdoms could exercise both their special talents and their minds was just the place for her exceptional speed and crazy luck. She had been planning to apply in two years, when she was of age to, but Yang had come home yesterday with a letter from the headmaster himself, in which Professor Ozpin had expressed a desire to meet with Ruby in private.

So it was that Ruby found herself in the oldest building in Vale, headed toward the professor’s office and hoping that nothing went wrong either in the meeting or on the way there. Of course, it did help that she was about fifteen minutes early, just like her father had advised her to be. She took one last calming breath before walking up to the information desk to find out where exactly she was headed. “Hello! I need to know where Professor Ozpin’s office is-”

“Hey, you!” Before Ruby could finish her question, she was cut off by a voice from behind her. She turned around to see a tall, lanky blonde jogging in her direction, dressed in the Beacon uniform with a dark-colored bag hanging across his body. Ruby looked all around her and, seeing no one else in the area but herself and the info desk clerk, pointed to herself. The boy laughed softly and came to a stop right in front of her, offering her a smile. “Yeah, sorry. Had to get your attention, y’know? Are you here for the meeting with Ozpin?”

“Uh, yeah, I am, actually. Did… did he ask to meet with you, too?” Ruby couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed if that was the case, as Ozpin’s letter had made it seem like a private meeting. The blonde shook his head at Ruby.

“Not… exactly. But he did ask me to help you find your way, and it looks like I showed up just in time! Follow me,” he instructed before walking off ahead of her. Ruby followed him, thanking the receptionist as she went, and the pair entered one of the many elevators in the lobby. Ruby’s guide pressed a button for the top floor before turning back to Ruby.

“Oh! Almost forgot. My name’s Jaune. What’s yours?”

“Ruby. Ruby Rose.” She struck a pose, feet spread apart and thumb pointing at her chest, her eyes twinkling as she smiled brightly at Jaune. At her excited action, Jaune’s face darkened for a moment.

“Ruby…” He trailed off, staring at the elevator wall, then quietly commented, “You remind me so much of her…”

“Huh? Sorry, Jaune, I didn’t catch that,” Ruby said a little worriedly, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she waited for Jaune to repeat himself.

“O-oh!” Jaune shook his head and turned his gaze back to Ruby with a small, sad smile. “I-It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. So, do you know why Ozpin contacted you?” At the mention of the impending meeting, Ruby sighed and pressed her back against the back door of the elevator.

“No, I have _no_ idea. I can only hope it’s not because I’m in trouble, Beacon’s been my dream since I was a kid!” Ruby’s fear and nervousness must have clearly come across in her words, because Jaune gently laid his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

“Hey, don’t be nervous. Oz isn’t _so_ bad, y’know; he’s a pretty cool guy. Besides, if you were in trouble, I doubt he’d have asked to meet with you in private,” he commented, trying to make Ruby feel at least a little better. Ruby’s face lit up at Jaune’s insight.

“Oh, really!? That’s great to hear, thanks, Jau- oof!” In her relief, Ruby had leaned even further back and shifted all her weight onto the door behind her, which opened once they reached their destination, dumping Ruby unceremoniously onto the ground in the small lobby they were now in. “Ow, ow, ow,” she whined as she rubbed her sore rear before accepting Jaune’s hand to help her up. When she looked up to thank him, however, she saw that he had stiffened and his expression had become very serious.

“Stay out here, Ruby. Professor Ozpin will call you in when he’s ready.” Without another word, Jaune opened the door to Ozpin’s office and strode inside, leaving Ruby all alone in the lobby. She walked over to one of the chair-lined walls and chose a seat, staring at her feet as she waited patiently. Finally, after about ten minutes of waiting, the door opened and an unfamiliar voice drifted out.

“Ruby Rose.” She jumped up at her name being called, half expecting someone to come out of the door.

“Ah! Yes, that’s me!” Ruby answered the summons nervously, her hands folded politely in front of her. She rocked back and forth on her heels for a few seconds, but stilled when the voice came again.

“Enter, please.” She slowly walked toward the door, becoming more anxious with every step, before she finally entered the office. Upon entering, Ruby gasped softly; the room was varying shades of green, and decorated beautifully. Antique clock pieces hung off the walls of the circular space, and the ceiling was glass; a mass of gears were spinning and whirring above it, the inner workings of Beacon Tower’s clock laid bare for visitors to see. The back wall was one massive window, and a grand, worn wooden desk sat in the center of the room.

After taking in the office’s appearance for a moment, Ruby’s eyes finally came to rest on the man behind the desk. He sat in the desk chair with his legs crossed and eyes closed, a coffee mug in one hand and the other in his lap. His clothing matched the room: while his jacket, pants and shoes were black, the shirt underneath was a deep green color, with a large cross charm hanging atop it. He didn’t look old, but his almost-white hair betrayed his true age, and Ruby found herself in awe. This man looked so peaceful.

“…Miss Rose?” The man, whom she assumed was Professor Ozpin, attempted to get Ruby’s attention. She quickly blinked to bring herself back to what she was doing and continued walking toward the desk, stopping just before she reached it, with a glance to the headmaster for further instructions. Ozpin simply put his mug down and gestured toward the empty chair next to her, inviting, “Please, Miss Rose, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

Ruby did as he said, turning and sitting in the chair that had been provided. As she sat, she noticed a figure next to Ozpin’s desk, and recognized Jaune’s half-shadowed form almost immediately as he stood looming behind the professor, his arms crossed over his chest and his face bearing a harsh expression. Ruby’s brows knitted in confusion and she turned her head back to Ozpin for answers. The headmaster smiled at her before opening his eyes to reveal that they were the most brilliant green she’d ever seen.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Ruby. We have much to discuss.”


	2. Enter Ladybug

"Ruby, have you ever heard of the Miraculous heroes?" Ozpin began, green eyes looking earnestly at the small redhead in the seat across from him. Ruby had been confused before, but at his mention of the infamous heroes that protected the citizens of Vale, she scrunched up her eyebrows.

"I… Think everyone has, Professor. Why?" At her question, Ozpin sighed and reached for something in one of the desk drawers. Jaune shuffled around uncomfortably as he stood behind the headmaster's chair and Ruby looked at him, questions swarming in her silver eyes. He refused to make eye contact, looking at anything but Ruby. Finally, Ozpin pulled out a small wooden box covered with ornate golden carvings and set it atop the desk.

"I have a… Proposal for you, Ruby," the professor said, opening the box to reveal ten shallow dividers, all of which were empty except for three close to the center. Ruby gasped as she saw that they contained three different sets of the most beautiful jewelry she had ever seen: an elegant peafowl-shaped turquoise brooch, a sparkling yellow-green bracelet that resembled a snake, and a glittering pair of bright red earrings with black spots. "These are the remaining three Miraculous stones, which are what give the Miraculous heroes their powers. Each stone contains a small fairy-like creature called a Kwami, and each Kwami is unique to its stone." As he spoke, Ozpin picked up one of the earrings, holding it out for Ruby to fully see. "These stones give their heroes powers related to a specific animal or insect, such as illusions for the Fox or destruction for the Cat, and most of the heroes use those powers for good, however…"

He closed his fist around the earring, his expression shifting harshly. "The Butterfly stone was stolen around a year or so ago, and whoever the perpetrator is, they are using the stone's power to turn ordinary people into the Grimm that the Miraculous heroes fight. They have a few henchmen as well, which is why the identity of the villain has been difficult to discover."

Ozpin rose from his chair, walking toward the window with cane in hand. "A few months ago, the Miraculous team broke up when the thief was able to get the Fox Miraculous stone. Jaune," Ozpin gestured toward his shadowed figure, and Jaune stepped into the light of the window as he continued, "is the last remnant of that team, and the holder of the Lion Miraculous stone. And, Miss Rose, he needs your help."

"I- I don't understand, sir. Needs my help? But how?" Ruby questioned, uncertain of what exactly the man was asking her to do. Ozpin breathed deeply before turning back to face the redhead.

"That is where my proposal comes in, Miss Rose. I would like to ask you to take the Ladybug Miraculous stone and become a hero," he replied, picking up the second earring and offering the pair to Ruby. The girl stared at the jewelry, eyes wide and mouth gaping, before hopping up excitedly.

"This sounds awesome! Of course I will!" She exclaimed as she bounced up and down. Jaune cocked an eyebrow, a bright smile crossing his face for the first time since they had entered the room. He was glad that Ruby had agreed, but she had a long road ahead, and finding candidates for the final two stones wasn't going to be easy. But Jaune wasn't alone anymore, and for that, he was grateful. As Ozpin handed the earrings to Ruby to wear, Jaune excused himself and slipped out, telling Ruby that he would contact her later.

* * *

 

"So, Tikki, right?" Ruby asked the small ladybug-like Kwami on her shoulder. Tikki responded with a nod, floating around Ruby as she walked down the empty street. Everyone else was in school or work, and Ozpin had told Ruby to go home so she'd be ready when her new mentor called, so she was left mostly alone on her way back to her family's house. That meant plenty of time to ask her Kwami some questions about her new "job". "How does this whole 'hero' thing work, exactly?"

"Well, Ruby, to transform, you just yell the phrase 'Spots On'. When you do, I'll become one with your Miraculous stone, your earrings, and you'll get my powers!" The tiny ladybug replied, floating in front of her new friend. "And then you have to use the powers to defeat the Grimm."

"And… What are the Grimm?" Ruby responded, gesturing vaguely. "I mean, I know what they _are_ , but what do they _do_? How are they made?"

"The Grimm are, as you heard from your headmaster, created by a villain called Papillon. She has the powers of the Butterfly Miraculous, and she uses them to turn people into Grimm when they become swallowed by negative emotion, but she's been difficult to track down and defeat," Tikki explained as the pair wandered down the street. "The Grimm are essentially opposites of the Miraculous; they're given superpowers but use them to do Papillon's bidding instead." Ruby shuddered, scared of the idea that someone could use others that easily.

"That sounds terrible, Tikki," she muttered, eyes downcast. The Kwami floated over to her other shoulder and sat there, small legs swinging back and forth, as Ruby continued her trek. The girl wasn't quite finished asking questions yet, however. "What exactly happened to Jaune's team? Ozpin wouldn't tell me, so I was hoping you might know."

"Ah, the old team. From what I've heard, they…" Tikki trailed off when Ruby's phone began to ring and the girl picked it up. She looked at the caller ID and turned back to the ladybug Kwami.

"It's Jaune! Wonder if he got out of class early?" Ruby said excitedly as she hit the talk button, ready to begin training as soon as possible. "Hey, Jaune! Are we – " Jaune cut her off, speaking urgently.

"Ruby, transform. We have a problem."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is chapter 1 of the RWBY Miraculous Ladybug AU that I'm working on. If you have any particular questions you'd like answered right away, or you'd like to find out more background info for this AU, you can always find me on my Tumblr (url: weisspresso). Thanks for reading!


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